Free - For - All
FREE - FOR - ALL
CW COMPARISON
It's different strokes for different folks as the KTM 520 E/XC takes on the Suzuki DR-Z400E, Gas Gas XC300, Yamaha WR25OF, KTM 200 E/XC and TM 125E in a battle of strange-displacement enduros
JIMMY LEWIS
PROBABLY THE WORST PART OF MY JOB AS OFFRoad Editor is getting sucked into a conversation with a rabid off-road rider contemplating a new purchase. Lately, they’ve all started out the same: “So, Lip thinking ,about getting one of those new Yamaha WR250Fs. Whaddya think?”
If I’m feeling feisty, I’ll reply, “So, did you sell your 125cc enduro?”
“No, I’d never ride a 125. It’s just that my WR40Ö is a bit too much and I was thinkin’...”
Not too much, I suspect, but for the sake of argument, I’ll interject, “The WR250 is a lot like a 125cc two-stroke, you know.”
“Oh, really? Then what about that KTM 520?” “Didn’t you say your 400 was too much for you?” Thi^'can go on and on. And the more I find myself engaged in these kinds of conversations, the more I realize that now more than ever, off-road/enduro riders are confused about what they want, mostly because they don’t understand the choices.
So, we decided to conduct a refresher course and assemble a one-of-eveiything sort of test, 125 twostroke to Open-class four-stroke. We’d not only shootout the bikes themselves, but also different displacements, engine configurations and international flavoring. To get familiar with the six bikes here, we raced and logged trail miles on each and every one. Then, for the heavy end of the evaluation, we laid out a timed, technical 4.2-mile enduro loop at Gary LaPlante’s Moto Ventures Riding Ranch (www.motoventures.com) in the SoCal hills, a torture test encompassing everything short of New Jersey slickrock boulderfield.
TM 125E
$6200
Ups
Full-on racebike Coolest looking by far Perfect way to tame hyper teenagers
Downs
Pricey (but worth it) How’ya at clutching?
Nothing teaches you to be a better rider than working with low power output. Forget about the throttle (it’s already WFO) and welcome to Clutching 101, Shifting 202 and Late Braking 303. This is the way you ride small-bore bikes like the Italian-made TM 125E two-stroke and the aforementioned Yamaha WR250F Thumper. Both require a hyper riding style that goes hand-in-hand with youth and enthusiasm, or anyone else who never graduated to the “lug-and-chug” school of riding technique. A small bike’s agility through the trees is untouchable-as long as the motor is singing at some insane rpm. But bobble once and the party’s over, suddenly replaced by a flurry of downshifts and fancy clutch work.
The TM 125E is a racebike to the core. Ours came to us the long way, via the ISDE in Spain, with a fresh piston and U.S.-spec suspension valving added en route. Though the TM has really good “lug” for a 125, it’s built for top end, and runs better than most motocross 125s. The heavier flywheel inside those sandcast cases helps out on both ends of the powerband, while the hydraulic clutch with a moderate pull cooperates as necessary-meaning it takes a lot of abuse.
The TM isn’t really happy until it’s going full-noise through the bush. Race settings come standard, and suspension-wise, the Paioli fork/Öhlins shock-equipped machine would be our first choice for a GNCC. Trail riding, it tended to deflect, but at a race pace it was true and stable with excellent balance and progression.
Where the 125 really shined was in quick side-to-side thrusting. Surprising was how fast the little TM was in our timed enduro loop, turning best lap times in the hands of several Experts and Novices. Howzat? Simple, really: Good riders could make the most of the race setup, while the less skilled weren’t intimidated by an excess of power or weight.
The Yamaha WR250F is in the same league as the TM; it’s a hyper-high-rpm ride. But like its MX brother the YZ250F, the WR has a bit more torque than most 125s, something that you’d think would make it a natural off-road. Not so fast:
Our WR mirrored the TM with decent torque on bottom and a screaming top end, but it was hurting in the middle, where off-road riders need “fill.” This forced rapid clutch work and multitudinous downshifts. The fact that the WR is a four-
stroke fools you into believing it will torque through a section, when in reality it bogs more often than it rips. And on the rare occasion it stalls, you have to re-light it via a procedure we’d rather see replaced by a pushbutton a la the Suzuki and KTM Thumpsters.
Our other complaints include the fact that even though the WR is a relatively lightweight motorcycle and is quite agile, it still feels slightly top-heavy. Plus, running the bike with the muffler uncorked, as we did, it’s hideously loud. We finally got our hands on an FMF Power Core IV-Q muffler ($330, 310/631-4363), which dropped the noise to nearKTM levels while boosting the power on the bottom and mid a bit. Worth every penny.
On to the good things for the WR, which include a great all-around suspension setup and ergos that made everyone smile. It’s super-stable and solid-feeling, with the best brakes in this test. Even so, our WR suffered from poor lap times and wasn’t as much fun as most guys expected it to be.
Middle of the road can be the best way to go, as represented by the KTM 200 and Suzuki DR. Two-stroke 200s and four-stroke 400s possess that “just right” combination of light weight and decent power. The 200 E/XC is part of the same engine family as the company’s 125, but features a larger bore and stroke. Feels great, just like a friendly 250 right on up through the midrange. Only on top does it reveal it’s “only” a 200, and even then a well-spaced six-speed transmission makes up for any shortcomings in speed.
It may run like a 250, but the KTM feels like a 125 in the weight and handling departments. It was slightly heavier feeling than our TM, even though the scales said the 200 was indeed the lightest bike in our comparison. It sliced through trees and rocks with ease, never tiring riders, plus you’ve got that extra 75cc of “lug” to fall back on. The linkageless suspension was an all-around winner as well, hanidling both trail riding and race rpaces with equal aplomb. Suzuki’s DR-Z400E fits in that marvelous-size window for Thumpers. Hot off an Honorable Mention in last year’s Ten Best Bikes competition, the “Doctor Z” headed into this comparo holding the playbike flag high. Even though we knew it wasn’t designed as an all-out racebike, we threw it into the mix to see how it would fare. And as was the case last year, we were surprised by this screaming yellow bike’s capabilities. Blessed with a super-quiet, super-user-friendly motor that can torque it out with the best of them yet still come alive and rev, the Suzuki is truly gifted. Bonus points for the nice light clutch pull and silky-smooth shifting. Of course, we loved our E-model’s electric starting. Yes, it adds a few pounds, but we were hard-pressed to feel them on the trail. And despite the bike’s lack of a backup kickstarter, we were never left stranded.
KTM 200 E/XC
$5698
Ups
Best two-stroke trailbike Best two-stroke raceb Ike Best of everything in one bike
Downs
Feels a little heavier than it really is You'll have to endure, "You're only man enough for a 200?" jibes
The Suzuki is set-up on the soft side, so riding it really fast taxes its suspension. If serious racing is in the cards, figure on some suspension work. That said, Novice riders were the happiest with the easy-going overall nature of the DR-Z, even if our more skilled riders noted the front end pushing a bit, had to deal with suspension bottoming and caught the footpegs on rocks and ruts. Even so, to a man our Expert testers all agreed the Suzook was the best bike in this group for trail riding.
In the Beefmasters class, we had the Gas Gas XC300 and the bike we named Best Enduro last year, the KTM 520 E/XC Racing. Our experience with Gas Gas motorcycles has been favorable; in fact, a 250cc enduro version almost took top honors a few years ago.
We chose the 300 to represent the smaller-than-usual Open class, sort of a 250 with huevos. We broke-in our Gas Gas with a second-place overall finish in the annual Glen Helen 6-Hour Grand Prix, proving that the bike’s durability was up to the high standards set by the other. Our 300 needed only a rear sprocket change during the entire event. These new Spanish bikes are as solid as they come.
Not surprisingly, the Gas Gas is a frontrunner in the rip-yourarms-out-oftheir-sockets category, until you learn to treat the throttle with respect. Hard thing coming off a 125!As soon as we figured out that riding the 300 a gear or two high was a good thing, the scenery started going by in blurs. Torque is phenomenal, and the engine revs out with a full spread of power ending in decent overrev for a 300.
YAMAHA WR250F
$5699
Ups
A real racing 250cc four-stroke Yamaha durability becoming legendary
Downs
It’s a 250cc four-stroke Waaayyy too loud unplugged!
Typically, bigbore two-strokes fall off pretty hard on top, but not this one.
No doubt the Gas Gas is fast, then, but what about slowing it down? The brakes are strong, but on the touchy side. Riding bikes this fast means a lot of hard braking, which can be tiring until you slow things down a bit and, in effect, start riding faster.
You have the power; using it properly is the issue. Use it foolishly and you’ll soon feel exhausted and slow.
GAS GAS XC300
$6874
Ups
Power to spare, torque for all Versatile six-speed gearbox Super stable and greatturning
Downs
You pay up front for what you’d buy later
What the heck is a Gas Gas?
The 300’s suspension is specifically set-up for U.S. enduro and cross-country conditions. It offers a plush, slightly springy ride that soaks up the stuff that deflects more “motocrossy” suspensions such as that on the WR or TM. The downside is that desert racers might need to do a little suspension revalving for high-speed situations, which are easy to get into with the Gas Gas’ wide-ratio sixspeed gearbox.
Who couldn’t not like the KTM 520 E/XC Racing? It’s the four-stroke off-road bike of our dreams, still unmatched m in power-to-weight ratio, even compared to its kickstart-only competition. With some durability updates and revised suspension settings, the Racing-series fourstrokes are quickly becoming dual-purpose bikes for a lot of riders. Even though KTM discourages this practice, we can’t blame these guys. With the off-road muffler and extra flywheel effect from the starter gears, the E/XC’s power is a bit smoother and longer-pulling than the motocross SX model we tested last month. And with the E/XC gear ratios jumping 22 percent each shift compared to the SX’s and M/XC’s 18 percent spread, you don’t have to shift as often.
But you better be ready to roost. On our test loop, the 520 was the fastest bike overall, and felt like it. But if the loop had been 10 miles around-let alone 100 miles like the typical enduro-the outcome surely would have been different.
As with the Gas Gas, excessive power is fun and works, until you get a little tired and a little sloppy, an endless loop that leads to more fatigue and more imprecision.
The 520’s suspension is really plush, but suffers from blowing through the stroke on big hits. Or was it that we were hitting those bumps a lot faster? Anyway, it bottomed a bit. The layout is exceptionally roomy, and with an adjustable top triple-clamp (same as on the 200 E/XC), you can set-up the bars however you like. With a hydraulic clutch, quiet muffler, quality hardware and oil filters everywhere, this bike scores bonus points amundo. So, which one of these six is your next dirtbike? Depends. Do you want power, agility or a combination of both? Do you prefer the character of a two-stroke or a four-stroke? It’s all out there, and there isn’t a bad bike here provided you’re not a 300-pounder eyeing that pretty little TM.
SUZUKI DR-Z4QOE
$5449
Ups
Absolute best four-stroke trailbike Quiet and powerful, leave the pipe alone! Affordable
Downs
Racing spirit, trailbike setup Cheezy air filter and handlebars
KTM 520 E/XC RACING
$7248
Ups
Holy-#@%* fast! Holy-#@%* light! Totally bitchin’!
Downs
Inspires cursing Usually sells for over retail
Yamaha’s WR250F is a great bike stacked against superior competition. Basically a strong-running, slightly heavy 125, it had a tough time hanging with the big-power bikes. Call it a strong sixth. Next up, a tie between the Gas Gas XC300 and TM 125E, with the former faring a bit better in our testers’ evaluation forms and the latter getting the nod on lap times. Depending upon your preference in power delivery, either one could be a great, if somewhat expensive, riding partner. Slotting into third in a surprise performance was the Suzuki DR-Z400E, pulling second place on evaluation forms and third overall on the test loop. It’s easy to ride and surprisingly fast. KTM’s 520 E/XC Racing was a close second ahead of the DR-Z, very little explanation needed. It is, simply put, the most serious off-road four-stroke you can buy.
But for us, KTM’s 200 E/XC was the bike of choice, scoring first on our testers’ evaluation forms and logging the second-best lap times. With superb all-around versatility, it even tied with the DR-Z as a favorite for all-day trail rides, yet none of our riders would hesitate to race it in stock trim. That’s a tough combination to beat. Impossible, in fact. □
